Posing Tips for Photographers | Part II

I had such a great reaction to the first part of this series on posing for wedding photographers, and I'm so excited to share more! Today, we're getting up close and personal!

This is one of my signature images. If you look through my portfolio, you'll see images similar to these. Almost every blog post includes one. I like to get up close. When I tell my couples that I'm coming in for "the shot," they know what I'm talking about. All of my couples know that I'm gonna get all up in their business and make them snuggle.

I usually set this image up by having the couple stand next to each other. Sometimes, I have them both face the same directions, and sometimes I have them face each other. I'll take a few full length, standard shots of them looking at the camera, and from there, I'll come in closer and ask the groom to nuzzle the bride's temple. I usually ask them to giggle playfully or if I know the couple, I'll tell him to whisper something naughty in her ear. After I get them laughing, I tell him to whisper in her ear one reason why he's so excited to marry her. I can usually get two or three frames with totally different expressions here; usually one fun, laughing frame and often, a more serious, intimate one.

Here's another version of my signature close up. For this frame, I have the couple face each other and ask the bride to look directly at me. If the groom doesn't automatically snuggle up to her (sometimes they do!) then I ask him to kiss her temple and say something sweet to her. As you can this from the examples, I use this one a lot. Like I said, it's kind of my signature!

The best part about this pose is that you can change it up and get so many variations! Try alternating between the bride and groom looking at you, looking down, closing their eyes, laughing, smiling, or anything else you can think of. Make it yours!

I make it a point to try and get as many variations out of one pose as I can - as you can tell! Be sure to take a few minutes to step back and get some wider angles of this pose. Take in some of the scenery, get the brides whole dress, incorporate some of the elements in front of the couple to create layers don't be afraid to get creative! My goal is create multiple, unique images that will also tell a cohesive story when I put together a wedding album for my couples, so being sure to get those wider angles at the same time really helps. For context, I'm usually shooting this particular frame on my 35, which lets me get in super close without my lens having trouble focusing, but also allows for this nice, wide shot without much extra effort or having to change lenses and risk losing the moment.

While we're talking about "the moment," I also want to point out that I'm not constantly posing my couples and directing them. Often times, I set them up facing each other, and talk with them for a few minutes, tell them they are doing a great job, how amazing they look, and really just observing them interacting. They say if you see a moment happen, you didn't capture it, so I make sure that my camera is up to my eye, on the ready at all times during portrait time.

Another tip for this pose:

If the groom is taller than the bride, don't be afraid to have them sit down! For context, in the image below on the left, the groom was sitting in a chair facing me, and the bride was sitting on his lap, facing the side. She threw her arm over his shoulder, the light was perfect, and you can see the result was fabulous!

I'll be posting more for this series soon! Keep checking back for more, and as always, leave any questions or suggestions in the comments below!

Get in touch.

If you've made it this far, chances are I just might be the right photographer for your wedding day. If you want photographs that show the connection between you and your other half, but you also want to connect with the person making those photographs, I know I'm the right photographer for you. If you like a little bit of country music and don't mind when I say y'all, then we might just become best friends.

Please get in touch with me so that we can discuss your wedding photography needs. I can't wait to tell your story. Please contact me for additional pricing information.